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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. prune — to trim
  5. press — to push
  6. board — to get on
  7. press — a publisher
  8. spell — magic
  9. board — a committee
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. game — a match
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. prune — to trim
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bark — to shout
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mark — a grade
  22. spell — letters
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bay — a horse colour

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com